Cardinal predicts that Pope will pardon Vatileaks butler

Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, a canon lawyer and member of the Vaticanâ€™s Supreme Court, is convinced that Pope Benedict XVI will pardon his former valet, Paolo Gabriele.

Gabriele, who is currently being tried in a Vatican court for the theft of confidential documents from the papal apartments, is to take the witness stand tomorrow.

In an interview with La Repubblica Sept. 30, the Curial cardinal, asked if Gabriele will be jailed or pardoned, stressed that a pardon â€śis a personal prerogative of the Holy Fatherâ€ť and one that only he, in good conscience, can decide.

He added: â€śAccording to my studies of criminal procedure applied to the Church, I feel I can say that, with a full confession of honest remorse and the absolute certainty that the crime cannot be committed again, popes have always issued, in favor of the condemned, measures dictated by the mercy that is the essence of the Church, which is always close to her children, even those found guilty.â€ť

Cardinal De Paolis recalled that Blessed Pope John Paul II forgave Ali Agca in 1981 on regaining consciousnessÂ after Agca tried to assassinate him on St. Peter's Square. He stressed â€śthis is not the first time that the Church has had to deal with close, sensitive matters, serious problems, personal tragedies." But he added that with prayer and the intercession of Divine Providence, â€śeverything can be resolved.â€ť

Gabriele has insisted he acted for the good of the Catholic Church, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that he had a mission to expose â€śevil and corruptionâ€ť. This has led many to wonder if he acted alone or on behalf of some senior Holy See figure.

But Cardinal De Paolis said in the interview that he believes Gabriele was acting alone, with Claudio Sciarpelletti, a computer technician, taking a â€śsecondary role.â€ťÂ He said the judges â€świll determine this on the basis of confessions, testimonies and facts,â€ť adding that he personally believes â€śthere will be no surprises. Everything will be resolved.â€ť

The Italian prelate criticised the â€śmany assumptionsâ€ť being made by those â€śwho really donâ€™t know what happenedâ€ť and are unable â€śto distinguish the reality of facts from fantasy.â€ť He added that it will be a â€śfair and timely trial, respectful of the rights of both the defense and the prosecutionâ€ť and consistent with the â€śspirit of justice administered in the Vatican, whose main aim throughout the trial is to arrive, yes, at the truth, but also and above all, at the redemption of the presumed offender.â€ť